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  “I returned to the Sentinel when they started bothering me about the nanocelium again.” ALF sounded bored. “They are unaccepting of the fact that it will never respond to anything but Terran or human DNA.”

  Kalian generally tried to avoid conversations with the AI, since he trusted him less and less, but he wanted to think about anything else other than his nightmare. “Can you blame them? Nanocelium could revolutionise their entire culture. It can heal humans from almost anything - who knows what it means for their lifespan.”

  ALF looked at Kalian with his blank faceplate. “Their lifespan?”

  Kalian had heard it too.

  “More and more you refer to humans as something apart from you,” ALF observed. “I thought Esabelle taught you not to forget that; that your humanity could be what made you stronger than any Terran?”

  “Well Esabelle’s not here,” Kalian quickly replied, never turning from the window.

  “Your isolation on this ship has not been good for your mental health,” ALF commented for the hundredth time. “For three months you’ve had no contact with any of your own kind. You barely even speak to any of the crew. I know losing-”

  “Don’t,” Kalian interrupted.

  ALF emulated a sigh. “What’s left of humanity requires a leader, Kalian. They have Captain Fey for now, but it’s not who they need. You stand for everything they’re going to become. Their evolution is inevitable.”

  “How is the Captain?” Kalian changed the subject, but he was interested… to a degree.

  “Captain Fey sent a message in the night. She wishes you well on your mission and regrets that she can’t be here to see you off.”

  Kalian leaned on the window ledge with both hands and watched the smaller vessels return from the Starforge. New supplies and work crews were swapped out of the base on the distant moon regularly.

  “Fey’s where she needs to be,” Kalian commented absently. “That floating habitat won’t keep itself in order.”

  The artificial habitat, that now housed the remaining seven thousand human beings, was orbiting the Raalak’s homeworld, Arakesh. Kalian had only visited it briefly before leaving with the Sentinel. He was glad the Highclave had seen fit to move them from the orbiting rings around Ch’ket. The new habitat was far more peaceful and accommodating, having been retrofitted with humans in mind.

  “I’m afraid it will have to,” ALF said with concern. “Captain Fey’s transmission came from the Nautallon. She’s with High Charge Uthor, responding to a broadcast outside Conclave territory - believed to be human in origin. They believe another ship made it out of your solar system before the Gomar arrived. Personally, I feel it’s a waste of resources. If any human vessel made it out of the system before the Nova, the crew will be dead from dehydration by now.”

  Kalian turned back to the Terran armour. “Always looking on the bright side…”

  As if reading his mind, ALF walked into Kalian and molded the armour around his naked body, leaving only his head and hands uncovered. Thousands of microscopic nanocelium wormed their way up from the fitted, high collar and nestled behind Kalian’s ear, engulfing the Novaarian translator that was permanently attached to his skin. Through this, ALF could talk to him without anyone else listening in - just the way the secretive AI liked it.

  “Has there been any progress tracking Malekk?” Kalian didn’t enjoy thinking about the twisted Terran, but he often thought of nothing but killing him.

  “While confined to the armour alone I am unable to access any Conclave systems.”

  “It’s like they don’t trust you or something…” Kalian made for the door.

  Ignoring his comment, ALF continued, “But I have spoken directly with Charge Ilo between my jaunts to the Starforge. She tells me there have been no sightings of him since he fled the Helteron Cluster. I predict that Protocorps is hiding him somewhere. Despite the numerous investigations they still have considerable influence and no end of resources. Malekk could be anywhere.”

  The idea of the infected Terran moving around the galaxy unchecked disturbed Kalian. Malekk had stated that he was working on behalf of something called the Vanguard. Whatever this person or creature was, it could be placed at the centre of every attack on homo sapiens in the milky way galaxy. It had seen to the downfall of the Terran and sent a cube millions of lightyears to destroy Earth. The Vanguard appeared to be paving the way for something that had yet to be revealed.

  Kalian had become so desperate for these answers that he had volunteered to be the first to travel through the new Conclave Starforge and journey into the heart of the galaxy. Perhaps in the home of the Terran, the true origins of mankind, he might unravel the mystery behind the cubes.

  Kalian didn’t look back as he exited the sparse living quarters. Outside his room was the usual four alien guards, though not one of them was there to watch Kalian. Having exhibited his abilities several times in the last nine months, the Conclave knew they could do nothing to stop him. Instead, these guards were tasked with escorting ALF between the Sentinel and the Starforge.

  The guards followed closely behind after he exited the quiet area of the ship - largely abandoned by the crew and left to Kalian. The Sentinel was an impressive vessel, the flagship of the Conclave fleet. The Highclave had hoped it could rival the Gommarian and bring an end to the leverage humanity held over them. That was before Malekk had used the Helteron Starforge to obliterate it.

  In the spacious Translift, Kalian rested the palm of his hand against the wall and opened his senses to the universe. His Terran brain mapped the ship in seconds, feeding back to him the Sentinel’s strengths and weaknesses. There were tremendous amounts of intrinium onboard, but it wasn’t all located in the starrillium, the ship’s engine. Kalian felt as if he could actually touch the warheads sitting in their torpedo tubes. With a concentrated thought, he was sure he could excite the molecules inside the intrinium and activate the warhead.

  Affecting objects and particles that were out of sight was a new skill for Kalian. His mind had always been able to find things out of sight, but it was only recently that he felt able to actually interact with them. Thinking of some of the amazing feats Esabelle had performed during their time together, it was clear that Kalian still had much to learn.

  The doors opened onto a busy corridor with a startling white floor and green walls, the same shade as the ship’s hull. Aliens from all twelve races went about their jobs, checking systems and installing upgrades where needed. The Sentinel, like all Conclave vessels, had been designed with a variety of biological needs in mind. The hulking Raalaks had the space to move about unencumbered, while the Ch’kara had access to multiple methane stations around the ship, ensuring a constant supply of their breathable atmosphere. When the corridor opened up, to what Kalian could only compare to a shopping mall on Earth, the walls were overlaid with gravity-defying walkways for the nimble Novaarians.

  Kalian continued through the massive ship, along with ALF’s entourage. On his way to the hangar bay, the group was forced to walk by the gargantuan double-doors that concealed the starillium. Kalian could feel the hum of the great engine on his skin. Beyond those doors was a sphere of callic-diamond that housed an artificial star the size of a football stadium. Kalian shifted his senses and felt the enormous amounts of electromagnetic radiation being absorbed and funnelled into the drives, where the intrinium waited to blast the Sentinel into sub-space.

  Feeling the power of the engine, Kalian’s mind was cast back a few months ago. Aboard the Nova, he had performed an unbelievable feat of his own and actually contained the raw sun inside the starillium, after Professor Garrett Jones had unleashed a nanocelium virus into the Nova’s systems. It would have killed Kalian had it not been for his impenetrable armour and his desperate need to protect…

  That source of strength was gone now, taken from him. Where Li’ara had provided him with a reason to always try harder and give nothing but his best, he was now only left with a shell. His strengt
h would now come from a sense of uncaring and lack of fear. He had become a man with nothing to lose.

  “Has there been any word about the Gomar?” Kalian was confident that his question went unheard by the busy crew.

  “I take it you’re referring to those taken from Gommarian?” ALF clarified.

  “I thought your IQ was incalculable?” Kalian quipped, irritated with ALF’s ignorance.

  The AI was more than aware that he was referring to the eleven Gomar, who had been put to sleep in the Rem-Stores shortly after Savrick had been killed on Naveen. At first, Kalian had wanted to jettison them all into the nearest star and be done with the killers, but Esabelle had tempered his anger towards them. She had pointed out that they may be of use further down the line when the real threat was uncovered. He had never really agreed with her, but now that she was gone, Kalian felt quite alone in the galaxy, and the Gomar was all that was left like him.

  Any plans to use the Gomar had been scuttled, however, when High Charge Uthor took control of the Gommarian and had them sent who knows where. The Highclave hadn’t been too happy to discover the existence of the surviving Gomar. It was secrets like that which frayed the relationship between the Conclave and humanity, preventing them from being granted membership and a planet of their own.

  “I have asked Charge Ilo but she is forbidden from divulging classified information, as expected. In truth, I don’t think she actually knows. I doubt there are many beyond the Highclave who know where they’re being kept. At least we know they haven’t woken them from their Rem-stores yet.”

  “How do we know that?” Kalian inquired.

  “If eleven Gomar had been woken up, the Conclave would be in ruins by now…”

  Kalian was inclined to agree. The eleven Gomar survivors that Esabelle had put to sleep, before disconnecting from the Gommarian, had lived through the Terran war and were veteran fighters. Their exo-suits allowed them to counteract the Harnesses that kept their Terran abilities in check and grant them a level of control. They would be capable of feats Kalian could only dream of.

  Out of the corner of his eye, Kalian caught sight of a Laronian and a Ch’kara staring at him. The two had stopped working on the individual jobs and stood together, watching him as he walked by. Their Novaarian superior officer gave them both a nudge and directed them back to work, before glancing at Kalian as well. At first, the attention he gained wherever he went had been strange, having lived most of his life as a history lecturer, but now he barely took notice.

  The hangar bay was unusually empty when he arrived. The rows of smaller fighter ships were unaccompanied by their engineers and mechs. Resting in the middle of the two rows, and taking up most of the space, was a black ship equipped with four chunky engines on the back and a cuboidal front nose where the bridge was located. The ship’s name, Advent, was written on the side in white lettering.

  “I take it the name was your idea?” Kalian mused out loud.

  “It means origin…” ALF replied smugly. “I thought it fitting, given our destination. It’s a hybrid human/Conclave design. They used what they learned from the remains of the Fathom to manufacture a Solar Drive that can store energised intrinium. It should have at least one jump in it before a sunspot is required.”

  Kalian didn’t much care; the ship was a means to an end. He just wanted to board the Advent right away, but he knew it wouldn’t be that simple. Charge Ilo emerged from behind the ship with a small entourage of her own. The Laronain captain, as it were, dismissed the guards that had followed Kalian from his quarters, with the flick of her blue head.

  “Mr. Gaines…” Ilo bowed her head in respect. “The Advent is prepped and ready for launch. I’ve pulled back all the crew working on the Starforge; we can control it remotely from the Sentinel.”

  Kalian managed a smile for the Laronian. “Thank you for allowing me to stay aboard your ship for so long. You have an excellent crew.”

  Ilo’s beautiful, diamond-like scales glistened as she took the compliment. Kalian regretted now all the times he had turned her invitation down to dine with the Charge and her senior officers. He hadn’t shown Ilo the same level of respect she had shown him.

  “The Highclave wish to speak with you before your departure,” Charge Ilo added.

  Kalian appeared confused. He expanded his awareness beyond the Sentinel and searched for the golden hull of the Marillion, the Highclave’s personal ship. As expected, there was nothing but the emptiness of space, leading to his quizzical expression.

  Ilo explained, “We are setting up a link to the capital; it should be ready momentarily. In the meantime, I have someone who would like to wish you well…”

  Kalian turned around, annoyed with himself for having missed the presence. Perhaps he was becoming too closed off. He didn’t examine the thoughts any further and instead held out his right hand to greet a friend.

  “Greetings of peace, Telarrek.” Kalian clasped the Ambassador’s forearm, truly happy to see his old friend.

  “Greetings of peace, Kalian.” Telarrek looked down at Kalian with a Novaarian smile.

  Another Novaarian hand gripped Kalian’s shoulder when Naydaalan appeared at his father’s side. The affectation was very human and certainly not natural for his species. Along with his father, Naydaalan had been spending a lot of time with the humans in their new habitat. Clearly, they were starting to rub off on the younger Novaarian.

  “Good to see you again Naydaalan,” Kalian offered with a half smile.

  “Your presence has been missed by your people,” Telarrek said. “Many ask for you daily.”

  “I bet the council doesn’t…” Kalian had never got on with any of the elected councillors, especially Laurence Wynter.

  “Captain Fey keeps them in check, often reminding them of your accomplishments and… sacrifices.” Telarrek added with a somber expression, shared by Naydaalan - who had become quite attached to Li’ara.

  “How goes the appeal for membership?” Kalian was happy to change the subject.

  Telarrek appeared disgruntled. “The Highclave will not entertain the idea at present. Until a permanent decision can be made, the habitat above Arakesh will have to suffice. But fear not, your people will not be left to starve. Their provisions are being taken care of.”

  “Thank you Telarrek, you’re a good Ambassador.” Kalian wanted to say more but he hadn’t the energy to. He just wanted to board the Advent and leave. “You both didn’t have to come all the way out here to see me off. We’re not exactly on the beaten path.” Kalian had seen their location on a star chart and knew the Starforge had been built on the far reaches of Conclave space.

  Telarrek and Naydaalan looked at each other before Charge Ilo interrupted. “The Highclave is ready.”

  One of Ilo’s entourage, a male Shay, stepped forward and presented five metallic spheres. The cyborg activated each of the spheres inside the case with its half organic, half robotic hand and watched as they floated into the air. The spheres projected a near perfect rendering of the Highclave in their various sizes - the holograms appeared solid and in colour, despite only being generated from light. The five alien councillors formed a neat line by the side of the gathered group.

  “Greetings...” The Novaarian councillor, Elondrasa, often spoke on behalf of the Highclave.

  The Novaarian representative appeared in her usual regal form, with a golden headdress and flowing red and purple robes. The translucent dreadlock tendrils that ran down her long back were bound in gold rings.

  “Councillors.” Kalian bowed his head in respect. These five individuals were the only thing standing between humanity and a new home.

  Elondrasa continued, “We hope your time aboard the Sentinel has been resting, Kalian. What you face next holds unknown challenges…”

  Ch’lac, the small councillor from Ch’ket, was quick to add, “The chief of which will be finding a way back to the Conclave and reporting your findings!”

  ALF appeared right on cue, his
holographic form projected from Kalian’s armour, along the waist. “As I told you when we first agreed on this plan of action,” the AI explained, “there are numerous Starforges in Terran space. I can reactivate one at will and plot a course back to this very quadrant.”

  Nu-marn, the Shay councillor, lifted his cybernetic arms in dismay. “According to you, those Starforges have been dormant for two-hundred thousand years. What if they are no longer operational? The knowledge you learn from the remains of the Terran Empire may be vital to uncovering the machinations of this... Malekk.”

  ALF replied with a look of condescension. “I build things to last. Time is of no concern to my creations. After we find the answers we seek, I will activate a Starforge and we will return.”

  “Perhaps then you can return and help us to further understand the nanocelium…” Lordina, the blue Laronian, flashed them all her sparkling white teeth.

  Kalian looked at ALF’s image, studying the AI’s expression for a moment - not that it counted for anything, being a hologram. Kalian hadn’t been aware that any tests were being conducted around nanocelium, but then again, he hadn’t been paying attention to much for the last three months.

  As if reading his mind again, ALF’s voice echoed inside his mind. “They are in possession of several tons after I was forced to eject the Conclave crew that remained aboard the Gommarian.”

  Lordina’s left eye arched in a quizzical expression, unsure as to the lack of reply. “You had a hand in designing the nanocelium did you not?”

  “I repurposed them,” ALF’s hologram replied. “The Terran invented nanocelium and I simply took control. They stopped being a weapon and started improving everyone’s quality of life.”